


Something Begins

by VampireNaomi



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-13
Updated: 2013-02-13
Packaged: 2017-12-08 08:49:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/759454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VampireNaomi/pseuds/VampireNaomi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Taiwan only wanted to ruin China's date, but she ended up getting a little closer to an unexpected nation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something Begins

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for sirvalkyrie in the Hetalia Christmas challenge. It includes brief mentions of Russia/China.

Taiwan brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and let out a deep breath. Wow, it sure has been a great Christmas party! America was the best at organizing them. Everything at his house was always big, flashy and loud, and he invited everyone, even those who weren't nations anymore or weren't recognised by everyone.

She couldn't remember the last time she had had so much fun. She had eaten more than was healthy for her, especially since she had ended up trying out all kinds of strangely coloured things she had never seen before. She had chatted with everyone and got to know some nations she didn't usually have much contact with. All of it had left her a little exhausted, so she was more than looking forward to retiring into her hotel room for some rest.

She wasn't the only one with these ambitions. Even if some late birds were still ready to rock, many nations were saying goodbye to the others and drifting towards the exit. Some of them were in pairs or even groups of more, but Taiwan didn't stop to wonder if she should have read something into that. 

That was until she spotted two figures, one of which was urging the other to hurry and kept casting worried glances behind his back.

"Quick, before she sees me!"

"How many times do I have to tell you that you should just confront her about it? You can't hide from her forever."

"Yes, I can!"

Taiwan lifted a curious brow at the exchange between Russia and China. She wasn't overly familiar with the situation, but she could guess that they were talking about Belarus. Everyone knew about her and her obsession with her brother. However, Taiwan hadn't spoken with Belarus many times so she didn't know her at all and couldn't say how much of what she had heard was true and how much just exaggerated rumours.

China let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head. "You're never going to solve your problem like this. But you should know that your sister left the party several hours ago. I don't think she will find you."

Russia relaxed visibly, but then an irritated frown took over his features.

"Why did you not tell me about that before?" he asked.

"Because you don't deserve your peace of mind before you've talked to her like an adult."

"That's not fair!"

"Now, stop complaining and come with me. I thought we had plans for tonight."

Taiwan watched how the two left. She didn't miss the way Russia closed the distance between him and China and how China didn't seem at all bothered by it. Over the years, Taiwan had got to know China better than she cared to, so it was easy for her to tell that Russia's advances weren't unwanted.

"Well," she said with a huff and placed her hands on her hips. So, the old man had a date for the night. She couldn't say she was happy for him, but she would have been able to shrug it off and leave the party as she had planned if it weren't for one detail.

Everyone knew that Belarus had feelings for Russia. Based on the conversation she had just heard, Russia and China were seeing each other behind her back. That wasn't a very nice thing to do, especially to one's sister. That combined with the fact that Taiwan wasn't the biggest fan of China made her decide that she wasn't going to just stand back and let this happen. She'd go and tell Belarus exactly what was going on.

The only problem was that she didn't know which hotel Belarus was staying at. It was an unspoken agreement among nations that they should never all go to the same hotel in case something happened, like an earthquake or a terrorist attack. Taiwan was pretty sure she and Belarus weren't in the same hotel this year.

"Okay, I'll just ask around. One of her friends must know," she said.

She took a look around to locate some European nations who should be able to tell her where Belarus' hotel was. It didn't take long before she spotted France who, curiously enough, hadn't tried to attach himself to anyone even at this late hour. However, with the way he was eyeing Seychelles, Taiwan guessed she had better hurry if she didn't want her chance to talk to him slip through her fingers.

"Hello," she said as she approached him.

France raised his brows in delighted surprise and smiled at her. "Well, hello there. To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"

"I just wanted to ask you something."

"Ask me anything. I'd be happy to help. If you want to spend the night with me, certainly, but I hope you're okay with a threeso –"

"I was wondering if you could tell me what hotel Belarus is staying at."

The smile dropped from France's face like he had just been presented with a chastity device. "Belarus?" he repeated. "Why would you want to know that?"

"I just need to talk to her for a moment," Taiwan replied.

France shook his head. "No, no, no. A pretty, little thing like you should stay away from her. And for that matter, I don't know which hotel she's at. She's an exceptional beauty to be sure, but her personality makes her a somewhat... difficult partner, so I do my best to stay away."

"Oh," Taiwan said in disappointment. "Thanks anyway."

She should probably ask someone who was a little closer to Belarus. France was all the way on the other side of Europe, but maybe one of her neighbours knew something. Maybe she could even get hold of her sister.

However, it turned out that a surprising number of nations didn't know anything about Belarus' whereabouts and didn't even seem to want to. Latvia only trembled and muttered that he didn't want to ever see her again. Prussia said he wasn't one bit interested in the crazy bitch. England repeated France's advice to her. 

"Excuse me?"

Taiwan turned around at being addressed and found herself looking at Lithuania. 

"Yes?"

"I hear you've been asking about Belarus. I could tell you where her hotel is."

Taiwan broke into a smile. "Finally! I was starting to think I should give up. I guess she forgot to tell all her friends where she was staying this time," she said.

Lithuania told her the name of Belarus' hotel and how she could easily reach it. He walked her to the exit and helped her get her coat on. He kept fidgeting with his fingers and casting unsure glances in her direction as they waited for her taxi to arrive, and Taiwan could tell that he had something on his mind.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No, no. It's just that... I'm not really sure how to say this." Lithuania fell silent for a moment before he continued, a sad smile on his face."The others are being unfair. Belarus isn't a bad person. In her own way, she's very delicate, and there was a time when I wanted nothing more than to be there to protect her."

For the first time since she had cooked up her plan, it occurred to Taiwan that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to tell Belarus about her brother and China. It would have amused her to no end to see China's date ruined, but she wasn't sure she wanted to hurt Belarus' feelings in order to achieve that. And hearing about her brother being with someone else would no doubt be painful.

"Ah, here's your taxi," Lithuania said once they saw a car approaching. "Say hello to Belarus for me."

"Sure," Taiwan replied, supressing the feeling of guilt. Belarus was a grown nation. She could deal with something like this. Besides, it was her right to know. Russia and China were being total douchebags.

It took a little over half an hour before she was at the hotel where Belarus was staying. Lithuania had told her what her room number was, and the staff were used to nations, so she had no trouble being allowed to her floor.

She spent a moment admiring the Christmas decorations that were all over the hotel – green vines with small electrical lights slithered up and down the walls, and there were small ornaments with red ribbons every few feet away from each other. The dim lightning added to the pleasant atmosphere. While Christmas wasn't as special to Taiwan as it was to some other nations, she couldn't help but feel how her spirits were lifted by the attention to detail.

She arrived at the door to Belarus' door and promptly knocked on it. She had been told that Belarus had just ordered something from room service, so she couldn't be in bed yet.

"Hel –" she started to say when the door was opened almost right away, but she was cut off by the sight of the other nation.

Belarus was wearing nothing but lingerie, and not just any lingerie. It was dark blue with detailed lace and left absolutely nothing to the imagination. Then again, Taiwan supposed that was the point of lingerie, but she couldn't be sure. Her taste was a little more modest.

"Oh," Belarus said, disappointment evident in her voice.

"May I come in?" 

"No. I'm busy."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were in the middle of something."

"I'm waiting for my brother to come and make love to me."

"What?" Taiwan could do nothing to stop a sudden blush from spreading on her cheeks, especially as she stole another glance at the undergarments Belarus was wearing. Things had suddenly taken such an unexpected turn for the awkward that she wasn't sure what to say.

"On second thought, come inside. Only my brother can see my body like this, so I don't want to display myself at the door," Belarus said.

Before Taiwan could say yes or no, Belarus had grabbed her arm and pulled her into the room. Her hold was like a vice, and Taiwan had no choice but to wince and rub her arm once the other nation let go.

The room was like any other hotel room she had seen in her life. The bed was clearly meant for two people, and the covers had been pulled half aside to make it look more welcoming. The door to the bathroom was slightly ajar, and she could still smell the scent of herb shampoo drifting from inside. On the table, there was a bowl full of strawberries. Of all things. She wondered how much Belarus had had to pay to get them at Christmas.

"So, you're waiting for your brother, huh?" Taiwan said.

Belarus nodded. “Yes. So state your business now or I'll kick you out. I have no time to waste.”

“Well, um...” Now that she had seen how much trouble Belarus had been through to make the night perfect for Russia, Taiwan found herself hesitating again. Did she really want to be the bringer of bad news?

“I said, state your business. You have ten seconds,” Belarus growled. Then a thoughtful look crossed her face. “Or are you bothered by how I am waiting for my brother even though we aren't married yet?”

“No, I –”

“The love between me and my brother is so strong that it can't be tied down by old-fashioned traditions. Of course, I would prefer it if he took me for the first time on our wedding night, but I couldn't book a church in the neighbourhood because everyone wants to get married at Christmas.”

“That's no problem! Really! It's just that there's something you should probably know,” Taiwan said.

“What is it?”

“Well, your brother... I saw him leave the Christmas party together with China. And they looked kind of close.”

Taiwan wasn't sure what kind of reaction she was expecting. If she had been in Belarus' position and someone had told her such news, she was sure she would have broken down crying. Belarus, however, was entirely expressionless save for the murderous gleam that suddenly appeared in her eyes.

“I see,” she said. “My stubborn brother still hasn't realised that the only one for him is me. But that will change once I have removed China from the way. Then my brother will finally have eyes for me only.”

Taiwan squirmed, not liking the haunting tone of Belarus' voice. She wasn't the biggest fan of China, but she had come a long way from insisting that she was the rightful representation for mainland China. She didn't mind making his life a little difficult every now and then, but she wasn't sure if she wanted anything to happen to him.

“So, why were you waiting for Russia anyway? Had you invited him?” she asked.

“I let him know that I had booked a hotel room for the both of us. It should have been clear enough, but my brother can be very thick-headed.”

Taiwan took another look around the room. She recalled China mentioning how Belarus had left the party hours ago. Had she spent all that time alone in this room, waiting for Russia? It broke her heart a little to imagine Belarus, full of hope and anticipation when there was no chance for her to get what she wanted.

And then she thought of everyone's reactions at the party when she had made inquiries about her hotel. Many had reacted with fear, others with indifference. Apart from Lithuania, nobody had had a good word to say about Belarus. There was always Ukraine, but she had also left the party early, so Taiwan hadn't had the chance to talk to her.

“Thanks for telling me what my ignorant brother is up to. You may leave now,” Belarus said.

“But...” Taiwan wasn't entirely sure what to say. Surely Belarus was lonely and crushed that Russia was spending Christmas with someone else. She didn't look upset, but wasn't this frown her default expression anyway? It occurred to Taiwan that she had never seen Belarus smile, not once.

“Did you want something else?”

“Well, maybe... Maybe we could hang out a little.”

Belarus slit her eyes in suspicion. “Why?”

“Because it's Christmas Eve! Everyone should do something fun on this day. Or would you rather go out with Ukraine or something?”

“She's with her boyfriend.”

Ouch, maybe she shouldn't have brought her up, then. But Taiwan didn't let that one pitfall stop her from advancing.

“Then we should do something!”

“Why? I don't even know you.”

“That's just one more reason for me to stay. I don't know you either, but we could find out if we have anything in common. We could become friends.”

Belarus stared at her like she was having trouble understanding her words. “I don't need friends. I only need my brother,” she said.

“But isn't that very lonely?” Taiwan asked, frowning. She couldn't imagine being close to only one person, no matter how much she loved him or her. It was so much fun being surrounded by her friends and getting to know new people.

“No.”

“But since your brother and China–”

Belarus moved so fast that Taiwan barely had the time to suck in a surprised breath before there was a knife pressed at her throat. Her first thought was complete puzzlement at that – just where had she drawn it from since she was in such an obvious state of undress? Her second thought was that she really didn't like the sharp prickle against her skin or the promise of having to wash blood out of her dress. It would be pretty bothersome.

“Did you come here to pity me?” Belarus asked. Her eyes had grown dark with contempt, and her fingers were pressing painfully into Taiwan's arm and holding her in place.

“No,” Taiwan said. “And take that knife away, okay? That's not enough to intimidate me. I live next to China. I've seen a lot worse.”

Belarus blinked in surprise, and this brief moment of hesitation was enough for Taiwan to wriggle free of her hold. She raised her hand to the small cut on her throat, but luckily it was so shallow that it wouldn't give her any trouble.

“Sheesh,” she muttered in irritation. “That's not a really nice way to treat a guest, especially after I came all the way here to tell you about Russia.”

“Why did you?” Belarus asked.

“Because I thought it was really mean that he was on a date behind your back. I mean, if he doesn't like you, he should be honest and say it.”

Belarus was quiet as she put the knife away. Taiwan saw now that her undergarments actually included a sash around her thigh where she could attach the weapon. She wondered if it was purely for self-defence or if her tastes included – no, no, better not think about that.

“Aren't you cold? Shouldn't you wear a little more?” she asked.

“It's always cold in my brother's house. I'm used to it after the years I lived there.” However, Belarus still moved to pick up a bathrobe from the near-by armchair and draped it over her delicate shoulders.

“You should come over to my house some time. I've got some really nice and warm places we could visit.”

“You don't have to invite me over just because you feel sorry for me about how my brother hasn't yet confessed his undying to love to me. I'll get him one day, whether he likes it or not.”

Taiwan pursed her lips in annoyance. “That's not why I invited you! I want to get to know you, and I don't really care at all about Russia. So, let's do something fun right now. Like, why let those strawberries go to waste? Let's eat them and watch TV.”

“I was going to feed them to my brother with my knife and make him lick it clean,” Belarus announced. 

“Can we just forget about him for a moment? He's not here right now,” Taiwan said. Really, did Belarus ever do anything without Russia in mind? That had to be an empty existence, especially since it was obvious that Russia didn't return her feelings. Taiwan couldn't help but wonder if Belarus really was oblivious to that fact or if she simply didn't want to admit the truth.

She should find someone else, Taiwan thought. Someone who could love her for who she was. Maybe then she would even smile a little.

“What do you usually do for fun?” she asked.

“I maintain my knife collection.”

“Oh, you have more of them?”

“More than you can imagine. I always carry at least one with me, and I have many more at home. You can never know when you'll need them.”

Taiwan nodded, thinking that she understood Belarus' point. Belarus hadn't been independent for that long compared to many other European nations, and she had a history full of bloodshed and oppression caused by her neighbours. In such circumstances, it was no wonder that she had developed a taste for weapons that were easily concealed, silent and fast. Because of her own history and the disagreements she still had with China, Taiwan could appreciate that.

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” she said.

Belarus hummed in thought. “I'm pretty impressed by your reaction to my attack. Most people would have started to cry and plead for their lives. And they would have run away by now,” she said.

“Oh, I don't mind. But maybe you should be a little friendlier to people so that they wouldn't want to avoid you.”

The look Belarus shot in her direction was so dark that Taiwan nearly flinched.

“I like it when they flee in fear,” Belarus said with an edge in her voice.

Taiwan decided not to press the issue. She reached into the bowl on the table, took out a plump strawberry and bit into it. It was surprisingly sweet and juicy despite the fact that it had to have come from the freezer. She loved strawberries but usually only ate them on cake.

She offered the bowl to Belarus, but she shook her head. For a while, complete silence reigned in the room as they sat – Belarus on the bed and Taiwan on the couch, munching on her strawberry.

“You should leave,” Belarus said after a while.

“Why?”

“You're wasting your time. Go back to the party and find someone else to bother.”

Taiwan's first thought was that her presence was a burden to Belarus, but then she thought back to the party and how nobody seemed to like her. Maybe she thought Taiwan was the same and didn't want her to waste her Christmas Eve with her. Or maybe she thought she was only here out of pity.

“I don't have any plans with anyone. I was going to go to my hotel before this happened,” she said.

“Then go to your hotel.”

“I'd rather not. It's getting late, and it's cold outside. Can't I stay here? We could have a slumber party.”

“I don't do slumber parties,” Belarus announced.

“Can I still stay?”

Taiwan was sure that Belarus was going to say no. Why wouldn't she? She had no reason to let a near stranger stay in her hotel room for the night. Though Taiwan didn't like the idea of getting out and finding the way to her hotel, she wasn't going to start a fight when she had no right to.

To her surprise, Belarus looked to the side and snorted dismissively. “Fine.”

“What, really? Thanks, you're so cool! I'll pay you back somehow, I promise!”

Taiwan realised that she was still wearing her coat, so she took it off and returned to her seat on the couch. It was too bad she didn't have her pyjama with her. She didn't feel comfortable waltzing around in her underwear like Belarus, so she had no choice but to keep her normal clothes on.

She grabbed another strawberry and turned on the TV. “What do you want to watch? Do you like action movies?”

“They irritate me. The people who make them know nothing about how weapons really work.”

“Oh, okay. Then you pick whatever you like,” Taiwan said.

“This is fine,” Belarus said.

Taiwan couldn't help but feel a little awkward when she realised that the movie Belarus had decided on was a romantic comedy. She probably hadn't realised what it was and had just picked the first thing that was on. Maybe she shouldn't watch something like that after she had had her heart broken. But she'd no doubt get angry again if Taiwan said that.

“Okay, this looks good, and I think it's just starting,” she said brightly.

The movie was about a woman who had just awoken from a coma but was suffering from amnesia and couldn't remember her fiancé, ended up falling in love with someone else and had to decide if she wanted her old life back or not once her memory started returning. It was the kind of light-hearted fun with a happy ending that Taiwan liked.

She kept glancing at Belarus all through the movie, wondering if she was bored. There was no emotion at all on her face, not even when the main character returned to her asshole of a fiancé because everyone told her it was the right choice or later when she had a touching reunion with her real love on top of a skyscraper in nightly New York.

“That was a good movie,” Belarus said as the credits were rolling.

“Huh, really?” 

“I imagine my wedding to my brother will be something like the final scene.”

“But... isn't he with China?”

“For now. He's just like that Mary. He will realise his true feelings soon.”

“Okay...”

Taiwan wished she could have got Belarus to talk about something else. It couldn't be healthy that she was so fixated on just one person. She would just have her heart broken over and over again.

“Do you want to order something from room service?” she asked. Maybe she could distract Belarus somehow. Whenever she was feeling down, Taiwan liked to eat cake to get her mind off her worries. She found herself thinking that she'd like to take Belarus to one of the cute, tiny cafés that she frequented at home and see if she'd like them.

“I'm not hungry.”

“Me neither, but I could go for an ice cream.”

“Then order one.”

Taiwan made a face a leaned back on her seat. Belarus certainly knew how to be a kill-joy. Maybe that was one reason why she had no friends. She had said she liked it when everyone ran away from her. Was it because she truly didn't need anyone or because it was easier for her not to let anyone close?

“Let's watch another movie,” she suggested. She was sure she wasn't going to get any answers out of Belarus this night.

***

Belarus was so into the late-night movie about a lonely pole dancer and her love for a school teacher with a embarrassing secret that she couldn't help but be a little startled when she suddenly felt Taiwan's head on her shoulder. She turned to glare at her in irritation, ready to snarl at her to distance herself right away, but that was when she noticed that the other nation had fallen asleep.

After a moment of consideration, she reached for the remote and turned off the TV. Without the voices of the characters and Taiwan's endless commentary about what was going on, the room felt awfully quiet.

Belarus was used to silence and had grown to appreciate it over the years. Silence meant that no armies were marching through her lands and massacring her people. It meant there were no arrogant invaders telling her she should kiss their boots because they were awesome. On the other hand, it could mean a different kind of oppression if silence reigned because everyone was afraid to speak up.

The years she had spent living in her brother's house hadn't been pleasant, but she had preferred them to what had been before. Now that she was independent, she often found herself missing those times. Not because she didn't think she couldn't make it on her own but because unlike her sister, she didn't want to make friends in west. The nations she was now supposed to see as her allies had walked all over her through the years. And most of them were inept idiots anyway.

Her brother had hurt her and killed her people as well, but he was family. He was different. And now that everyone else had left him, he would see her with new eyes and truly appreciate her. She could help him restore his past glory and make him the most powerful presence in Europe once again. Together, they'd be perfect. She just had to make him realise that as well.

She turned her eyes to the bowl of strawberries. The whole day, she had pictured her brother's form under her, limbs strapped to the bed, whimpering as she teased him. Now she found that fantasy sullied and kept alternating between images of what China could be doing to him right now and how Taiwan had popped the last piece of her strawberry into her mouth.

“Of all things,” she muttered in irritation.

She appreciated the fact that Taiwan had come to tell her what her stupid brother was doing, but it had surprised her that she had wanted to stay. Her cheerful attitude, like she had some right to be in Belarus' personal space, had immediately got under her skin. Nobody told her what to do. Not anymore. Taiwan could count herself lucky Belarus hadn't removed that annoying smile from her face with her blade.

That was another part that surprised her. Not the fact that she hadn't used her knife for Belarus had more self-control than most nations gave her credit for. No, what had caught her off guard had been Taiwan's reaction. She hadn't frozen in fear, hadn't began to cry, hadn't begged for mercy. She hadn't run away after getting free.

Belarus couldn't remember the last time that had happened. Usually, she only had to take out one of her weapons or give someone a dark glare to make them wet their pants. The only explanation she could think of was that Taiwan was exceptionally stupid, but somehow that didn't feel right.

She caught Taiwan's shoulder and wriggled free from under her, careful not to wake her up, and lay her down on the couch. She could stay there. Belarus would just fetch an extra blanket and cover her.

Except that there weren't any in the closet. She only had one in her bed because she had been planning to share it with her brother after their passionate lovemaking. At this hour, she wasn't very eager to deal with the inept service of the hotel and ask for another blanket.

She should just leave Taiwan there. It was her fault if she was cold. Belarus hadn't asked her to stay.

And yet she was here. Belarus again wondered if Taiwan was stupid, if she didn't understand who she was dealing with. Could it be that she wasn't aware of the reputation Belarus had? She did live awfully far away, and they had very little to do with each other.

Belarus hadn't lied when she had said that she liked it when the others fled before her in fear. She had had bad experiences with so many nations in Europe that she didn't care to have much to do with them. How often had she run away before their armies or been kicked when she was down? It was their turn now. She relished the fear that flashed in the others' eyes when they saw her.

But she had no reason to want that reaction from Taiwan. The two of them had no shared history. They were near strangers to each other. The last time she had spoken with someone like that was... She couldn't remember. Because of her reputation, no nation who had no close political ties with her wanted to approach her.

She had no reason to be hostile towards Taiwan, she decided. In a way, it had been nice to have someone over for a while and watch a few movies. Only Ukraine knew about it, but Belarus had quite a soft spot for romantic comedies.

She slipped her arms under Taiwan and lifted her up with ease. There was only a tired murmur from her as Belarus carried her over to the large bed and put her down – not on the side where she had envisioned her brother but on the other. She in turn shrugged the bathrobe off her shoulders and took the spot on the bed where Russia should have been.

It was nice to sleep by someone's side, even if it wasn't her brother, she thought and covered herself and Taiwan with the blanket. She hadn't done that in many, many years.


End file.
